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Obamacare | The Government's Takeover of Health Care

Obamacare Premiums Set to Skyrocket

The Obama regime is about to get caught in another Obamacare lie: health care premiums are set to skyrocket this year. At a time when midterm elections are around the corner and the Senate is up for grabs, news of rate hike does not bode well for Democrats. But, as we've seen countless times, the White House is not above bending the rules in order to protect Obamacare and Democrats. Be that as it may, a tripling of insurance rates won't be easy to hide.

Health industry officials say ObamaCare-related premiums will double in some parts of the country, countering claims recently made by the administration.

The expected rate hikes will be announced in the coming months amid an intense election year, when control of the Senate is up for grabs. The sticker shock would likely bolster the GOP’s prospects in November and hamper ObamaCare insurance enrollment efforts in 2015.

The industry complaints come less than a week after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sought to downplay concerns about rising premiums in the healthcare sector. She told lawmakers rates would increase in 2015 but grow more slowly than in the past.

“The increases are far less significant than what they were prior to the Affordable Care Act,” the secretary said in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Her comment baffled insurance officials, who said it runs counter to the industry’s consensus about next year.

“It’s pretty shortsighted because I think everybody knows that the way the exchange has rolled out … is going to lead to higher costs,” said one senior insurance executive who requested anonymity.

The insurance official, who hails from a populous swing state, said his company expects to triple its rates next year on the ObamaCare exchange.